Rami Malek’s role in the Twilight saga as Breaking Dawn- Part II’s Benjamin is both unique and extremely important to the series. Before he was an Oscar winner and the upcoming Bond villain Safin, Bohemian Rhapsody and Mr. Robot star Malek appeared briefly in the Twilight saga. The actor played the role of Benjamin, a key and intriguing character in the original series of paranormal romance novels by Stephenie Meyers.
However, as with many details of the franchise’s mythology, the unique importance of Malek’s character was largely lost in the truncated film adaptation. The viewer does get to briefly glimpse just what makes Benjamin so special among the cast of vampires seen throughout the films, but the story of his character is left largely unexplained. What is clear, however, is that he is different and his distinction is what marks him out as important.
An Egyptian vampire, Benjamin is unique among the saga’s vampires for his ability to control the elements. Every vampire has a specific power in Meyers’ divisive reimagining of vampire lore, with both the villainous Volturi and each of the Cullen family having separate and distinct abilities like super strength, telepathy, and foresight. But Benjamin is the only character able to manipulate the elements where the rest of the series’ vampires can only manipulate humans and each other. His skill – which manifested when he was still human – doesn’t rely on mental manipulation, making him a vital asset for any of the many vampire clans, such as series villains Volturi or Benjamin’s handler Amun’s brood, who are attempting to gain or maintain dominance in the world of the Twilight saga.
As a result, Benjamin plays a small but pivotal role in the climax of the series – or would have if the climax actually happened. Infamously, the epic and surprisingly brutal twelve-minute battle sequence which ends Breaking Dawn Part II is actually only a premonition of what might happen, and it’s one that proves potent enough to scare the villainous Volturi coven away from any potential fighting. This change results in an unexpectedly low stake happy ending for the series, if not for the minor villain Marcus who is denied the death he deeply desires. But the controversial decision also saps a lot of importance from Benjamin’s place in Twilight lore.
As a phenomenally powerful but naive character who is hidden from the Volturi for fear of him being killed or controlled by the villainous coven, his presence at this battle is a high-risk maneuver. He’s needed by the heroic Cullens and the earthquake he causes is tied directly to their eventual bloody victory. But just by arriving in time to play a part in Breaking Dawn Part II’s battle sequence ending (and insisting to his handler Amun that he refuses to leave), Benjamin risks capture and an unending lifetime serving the Volturi, a fate which Marcus has already proven is worse than death itself. It’s a moving moment for viewers to discover that a character who doesn’t know the central pair Edward and Bella would be willing to put his life on the line to protect them and their family. If only the film provided any of this context, in which case Malek’s Twilight performance could have had a lot more impact.
